Charles City man plans to again serve as own attorney, but with help

Charles City, Iowa (AP) – A Charles City man granted on a new sex abuse trial over concerns about his representing himself at trial plans to again serve as his own attorney.

61-year-old Doug Lindaman revealed his plan in a court filing. But this time, he’s asked for a court-appointed attorney to assist him at his retrial, set for Aug. 1.

Lindaman was sentenced last year to up to 10 years in prison for third-degree sex abuse. But in a rare move, prosecutors asked the Iowa Supreme Court to vacate the conviction, because Lindaman was allowed to represent himself without knowingly waiving his right to an attorney.

Lindaman is accused of performing a sex act in 2011 on a 17-year-old boy without the boy’s consent. Lindaman, a former attorney, was running for a school board spot at the time of his 2015 arrest.